DEVELOPMENT OF A RAM-TYPE BLOWOUT PREVENTER USED FOR SEALING THE WELLHEAD

Operational safety during drilling and workover of oil and gas wells largely depends on the reliability of blowout prevention equipment. Ram-type blowout preventers play a key role in this system, as they are responsible for sealing the wellhead and containing formation fluids during emergency situations. Field experience shows that the performance of ram preventers is strongly influenced by the design of the rams, which are subjected to severe wear and loss of sealing capability under high pressure and cyclic loading conditions. This paper explores possible ways to improve the design of ram elements in ram-type blowout preventers with the aim of extending their service life and maintaining stable sealing performance. Typical shortcomings of existing ram designs are analyzed, and the need for design modifications to enhance the interaction between the rams and the elements being sealed is substantiated. The proposed solutions help reduce contact stresses, limit wear of sealing surfaces, and improve the overall reliability of blowout preventer operation. The results obtained can be applied in the development and upgrading of ram-type blowout preventers used in the oil and gas industry. Keywords: ram-type blowout preventer, ram element, well control safety, sealing performance, wear resistance, operational reliability.